World of Fa'Nariel
Fa'Nariel is a unique and varied world unlike many others across the multiverse. The World Fa'Nariel is a world that was born from primal forces clashing with raw magic. Legends speak of ancient Godbeasts that created the world and of their own children rising up to bring order to the chaos that their parents caused. Most of these legends have been long lost to the ages and most of the sages brush them off as fool's tales. Fa'Nariel is a world like no other. A ring of twinkling stone surrounds the world, that was rumored to originally be one of the moons. On clear nights the sky shimmers with a prismatic light. Two moons journey through the night skies over Fa'Nariel. Silvari, the larger of the pair, shines with a pale white light while Telari offers a dull blue glow in the night sky. Vast oceans separate the continents of Fa'Nariel. Mountains, deserts, fields and forests, swamps and tundra, and many other terrains dot the landscape of the world. Fa'Nariel is a world of magic: Fantastic natural beauty exists beside lands blasted into ash. From the peaks of the Skyshatter mountains to the churning waters of the Stormstrike bay to the ageless trees of the Great Forest, Fa'nariel holds many lands that have withstood the passing of time. Below the world's surface lies another land, Deephollow. Throughout the depths snake passages, leading to large open vaults of varying sizes. In the farthest depths of the Deephollow remain things long since forgotten from ages long since past. Nariel Of the continents of Fa'Nariel, Nariel is the heart of the world. It is here that the largest kingdoms began and also fell. Currently most of the continent is held by human kingdoms, however the dwarven and elven empires also hold their roots here. Humanity started off as one kingdom, but as time went on they spread and formed new kingdoms. Seven human nations now span Nariel: Abendarin, Alealdon, Daskania, Fronel, Lorengarde, Mirakath, and Vol Rykir. While predominantly human, most of these lands are home to the other cultures of Nariel. Dwarves, elves, half elves, half orcs, and halflings make their homes in the towns and cities of these nations. Other races call Nariel their home. The dwarves lay claim to the Cragblade highlands and Ironspine mountains, with ancestral holds throughout the regions. The elves maintain constant vigil over their home of the Great Forest. Nomadic halfling tribes travel the plains rarely staying in one place for too long. Beyond Nariel Nariel is the center of the world to many people and there is no reason to think otherwise. Many expeditions have gone out in new lands and very few have returned with solid evidence that there is. Sailors of these voyages bring back all sorts of wild tales of a land of snow and ice, where the wind freezes flesh in a flash. Others have spoken of a land bereft of any life, only barren land and ruins of an ancient empire crumbling to dust. The Planes Fa'Nariel is a world surrounded by other realms that each imparts a portion of their essence. Scholars have debated over the make up of the universe for centuries but there is a general consensus on the following. The Astral sea envelopes the world and acts as a gateway to the Outer Planes beyond Fa'Nariel. There is much speculation over just what exists in the Astral Sea, however many agree it is either the home to many other realms much like Fa'Nariel or that is simply a gateway to other realms that share the same connection. Some even speculate that it is here that the gods call home. On Fa'Nariel itself exists another realm that is a copy of the world from an early age. Legends say that there was a time when magic was a tangible element in Fa'Nariel but it was abused bringing a horrible calamity known as the Great Divide. At this point Fa'Nariel became two, with the world as it is known today remaining and a second world to house this magical power called Manariel. Existing as an echo to Fa'Nariel lies Shadevale, here it is bleak and barren. This plane is a dark reminder of what the world can become and acts as a counter balance to abundance of magical energy coming from Manariel. Surrounding Fa'Nariel churns the Elemental Chaos, where the elemental planes exist. This twisted space is where the primal energy of the elements that shaped Fa'Nariel came from. Like the Astral Sea, it is suspected to be home to many realms or connected to them in some fashion. Demons, devils and worse have used the Elemental Chaos as a means to enter Fa'Nariel. Between the inner realms of Manariel, Shadevale, and the elemental planes exists the Ethereal. A gateway plane of sorts that is out of visual range of most beings. It is here where the barriers between realms tend to weaken allowing the planes to join for brief periods. There are some scholars who suspect that beyond the Astral Sea and Elemental Chaos lies another plane of existence and it is here that beings that are beyond even the god's powers are lying dormant. Most discount these scholars who tend to ramble on about beings of madness and alien like nature. Although the planes have little influence on many lives, they do effect Fa'Nariel. Shadevale and Manariel being closest to the world, tend to spill into it briefly manifesting in the world before being pulled back into their planar realms. Portions of the Elemental Chaos sometimes appear in the realms forever changing the lands even after disappearing from Fa'Nariel. Life Across Fa'Nariel In the last decade, the nations of Nariel have come to a strained peace. Many remember a time when war wasn't a constant threat and that most trouble with other nations was rising prices for trade goods. Few recall the last war and those that do still bear strong resentment of the results. Nariel is a land in turmoil. With tension rife throughout the lands and constant murmurings and rumors, distrust is rampant. Many feel another war is about to begin, while others fear that other powers are at work. The nation's political leaders foster this sense of unease. Any attempt to try and give rationality to their actions only further spreads distrust. Each nation suspects the other for some action while the other accuses another for something else. Some nations have managed to bring an end to this and now work together, however many know that war is coming. Government Most kingdoms are a hereditary, feudal monarchy. Kings and queens are supported by nobles of varying titles who oversee to their regions. Commoners are taxed by these nobles in accordance to the nation they live in. Those of noble birth typically rule over nations, however there are other forms of government such as the High Council of Alealdon. Some organizations hold power that rival that of rules, like the Trade Princes of Mirakath. Even the temples have some power varying from kingdom to kingdom. Everyday Life Most people of Nariel are farmers or laborers, living in farmsteads and small villages within a couple miles of a nearby town. This central settlement serves as a trading hub for the farmers who bring their crops, livestock, and other goods. Crafters from the town in turn trade farm implements, leather goods, items from distant locations, and services in exchange for the farm goods. All of these citizens pay taxes to a local lord, who lives nearby and the lord uses this tax money for protection. Whether that be by raising an army, training militia, or using other means to ensure the people are safe. The system should work however it isn't perfect. All manners of hazards plague the countryside. Brigands and monsters attack farms and trade routes, while corrupted nobles stay in power and hoard the wealth instead of helping the people under their rule. Compared to the bustling cities, rural life is simple and mostly peaceful. People are more connected to the natural world and tend to distrust visitors and strangers. News travels slowly outside of the cities which only adds to the suspicions. Towns surround cities, much like farms do around towns, though the city is often miles away and travelling takes a day or more if traveling by conventional means. Cities are not common in Nariel, typically being the capital of a kingdom. Cities are more diverse than the countryside and most people are less comfortable with the wilderness than rural people. The city also provides more opportunity to improve standing in life. The middle class and upper classes are found more often in cities than in the countryside. Money and Social Class The standard currency across the lands of Nariel is coinage. Some areas do have other means of payment, but throughout the realm gold coin is accepted. Coins in the forms of precious metals worth set values. The lowest coin is the copper piece, with ten of these worth one silver coin. Ten silver coins are worth one gold coin. Most common folk are farmers or laborers and make up a large section of the population of Nariel. Six out of ten people make up the lower class throughout the kingdoms. This class typically rarely has more than a handful of silver pieces at one time and might be able to get with difficulty scrounge together a few dozen gold pieces. Merchants, artisans, skilled professionals, minor nobles, clergy, and starting adventurers all fall into the middle class. Three out of ten people are members fall into this category. Most of these people have access to several hundred gold pieces and could gather a couple thousand or more if needed. The middle class typically resides in cities, but a few members live in rural areas to get away from the bustle of the city. One out of ten people are the upper class. This includes high nobles, high ranking clergy members, and adventurers of high standing. These individuals typically have thousands of gold pieces to support themselves and can access even greater amounts if required. Adventurers Adventurers are not a common sight in Nariel, though most people know what they are. Many of these people have over imagined notions of what adventurers do. Becoming an adventurer is quite easy to do, however surviving is another thing onto its own. Successful adventurers typically will find a good way of getting rich, travel interesting locations, and gain fame. Famous adventurers go down in legend, with stories of their deeds being spread by traveling bards. While those who meet untimely fates are rarely told. All walks of life can become an adventurer, though most form a group. Most of these parties work as freelancers, going wherever the road takes them. Others accept the patronage of nobles, kingdoms, or powerful organizations. Languages Common is the language used across Nariel and all races use it frequently. Non-humanoid races have their own language and use it when dealing with their own people. Many share alphabets, though this does not impart understanding of the text. * Common (Common script): Spoken by humans and halflings * Deep Speech (Sersanic script): Spoken by denizens of the Deephollow * Draconic (Khanric script): Spoken by dragons and their servants * Dwarven (Dwavrek script): Spoken by dwarves * Elven (Sersanic script): Spoken by elves * Giant (Dwavrek script): Spoken by giants, orcs, ogres * Goblin (Common script): Spoken by goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears * Primordial (Larvahad script): Spoken by elementals * Supernal (Astrarnal script): Spoken by gods and their servants * Abyssal (Larvahad script): Spoken by demons and their servants Calender First used by the elves as a simple mean of keeping track of the seasons, it was refined by astrologists to the standard Nariel calender that is still in use today. A standard day in Nariel is 24 hours. There are nine days to a week, with four weeks in a month. Every three months a week long festival is held to celebrate the changing of the season. The different races of Fa'Nariel have their own forms of tracking the years. The most commonly used is that of the humans when the their first kingdom was formed. While other races have their own methods and some are still in use, many differ to the years used by the human's method of annual tracking. Days of the Week The days of the week are listed from first to last: Rol'myr, Vor'myr, Sol'myr, Tul'myr, Mid'myr, Rin'myr, Tir'myr, Sed'myr, Dul'myr Months of the Year * Letha - Mid Winter * Pamor - Late Winter * Ariem - Early Spring * Spring Festival * Banem - Mid Spring * Sago - Late Spring * Ellaras - Early Summer * Midsummer Festival * Kirel - Mid Summer * Cyrne - Late Summer * Varamus - Early Autumn * Harvest Festival * Nassiel - Mid Autumn * Daedon - Late Autumn * Golegald - Early Winter * New Year Festival